B
New England Patriots
Best value of the weekend goes to the Patriots for Delp: B.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 7 steals
· 1 reaches
The board owed the Patriots one, and it paid up: Oscar Delp, the No. 132 name on the board, sitting there at slot 171 like a gift left on the doorstep. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.
They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it. Young has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 31 they get juice off the edge, even if it was a touch early. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A tidy bit of business in the 63rd pick, where Caleb Tiernan graded well above the range. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Germie Bernard in the Round 3 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Taking Bud Clark in the 125th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They will replay Ja'Kobi Lane at Round 4, Pick 31 for years; that is how good the value is. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They robbed the room for Oscar Delp here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Marlin Klein in No. 191 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They took Cole Payton at par in pick 198, which is nothing to complain about. A need, and now a little less of one.
Keagen Trost at the 202nd pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jeremiah Wright at Round 6, Pick 31 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They did well to land Eli Heidenreich in the Round 7 slot, just ahead of his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.